DOCSLIB.ORG

Chapter 5: Spot

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Chapter 5: Spot CHAPTER 5: SPOT Populated with text from the Omnibus Amendment to the ISFMP for Spanish Mackerel, Spot, and Spotted Seatrout (ASFMC 2012) Section I. General Description of Habitat Spot are found in estuaries and coastal areas from the Gulf of Maine to the Bay of Campeche, Mexico, and are concentrated between the Chesapeake Bay and South Carolina (Phillips et al. 1989). Juvenile spot prefer shallow water areas, less than 8 m, over fine sediment and in tidal marshes (Phillips et al. 1989; Strickney and Cuenco 1982; Chesapeake Bay Program 1991). Juvenile spot are found in salinities ranging from 0–30 ppt and water temperatures from 5–30°C (Stickney and Cuenco 1982; Phillips et al. 1989, ASMFC 1987), and therefore are found from polyhaline to freshwater nursery areas. Adult spot are more abundant in coastal waters and lower estuaries whereas juveniles are abundant in lower salinity areas. Part A. Spawning Habitat Data indicate that spot spawn further offshore and in deeper waters than other sciaenids. Spot typically migrate offshore and spawn in the relatively deep water of the outer continental shelf, though some evidently spawn in both nearshore waters and estuaries (Dawson 1958; Lewis and Judy 1983). Ripe adults aggregate off beaches in the fall and start migrating offshore to more southern waters (Pearson 1932). Spot may spawn repeatedly over several weeks (Hildebrand and Cable 1930), with some individuals remaining offshore after spawning (Pearson 1932; Wenner et al. 1979, 1980). Fall migrations of maturing spot to offshore waters were reported from Chesapeake Bay (Hildebrand and Schroeder 1928), North Carolina (Roelofs 1951), and South Carolina estuaries (Dawson 1958). Ripe spot were collected in depths up to 82 m off South Carolina (Dawson 1958) and 12.8–16.1 km off the Georgia coast (Hoese 1973). Smith (1907) stated that in North Carolina spot spawn in the sounds and inlets and Hildebrand and Cable (1930) suggested that spawning occurred in close proximity to passes off North Carolina; however, no evidence was offered to support these statements. Larval distributions of spot also indicate that spawning occurs more heavily offshore (26–128 m) than inshore (14.6–20.1 m; Lewis and Judy 1983; Warlen and Chester 1985). Geographic and Temporal Patterns of Migration By the fall, spot either remain in estuaries another year (after year 1) or migrate offshore. For those that remain nearshore, some adults may spawn on the inner continental shelf during the late fall, if water temperatures remain warm enough. For those that migrate to the outer continental shelf, spawning will occur if temperatures are suitable for spawning and egg development (17.5–25°C) (Hettler and Powell 1981). Compared to other sciaenids, spawning spot are further offshore and in deeper waters. Ripe spot have been collected in depths up to 82 m off South Carolina (Dawson 1958) and shallower waters 8–10 mi off the Georgia coast (Hoese 1973). It is unknown what proportion of spent adults return inshore, or any other habits or behaviors they exhibit (other than the assumption that some proportion return to nearshore or estuarine waters). Salinity There is no evidence that spawning individuals experience anything less than full seawater based on their offshore location. Excerpted from Atlantic Sciaenid Habitats: A Review of Utilization, Threats, and Recommendations for Conservation, Management, and Research 57 Substrate While the behaviors of juvenile and adult spot likely center on feeding, and thus substrate, it is unknown to what degree substrate influences spawning individuals. Based on the time of year and the offshore habitats required for spawning, it is unlikely that substrate plays a prominent role in spot behavior. Additionally, spot eggs are pelagic and positively buoyant, so substrates likely does not influence their distribution. Temperature Temperature may be the strongest driver of spawning spot behavior. Maturing individuals move offshore in the fall, and if capable (probably based on size) spawn in the late fall if water temperatures are still >17.5°C (Hettler and Powell 1981). If these two conditions are not met, which is likely true for most of the population, mature spot continue their migration offshore to the outer continental shelf habitats where higher winter temperatures can be found. Dissolved Oxygen Spawning adults likely experience normoxic conditions (>4.0 mg L-1 DO) offshore, and thus DO is not a limiting factor or strong influence on behavior. Feeding Behavior Spawning adult feeding behaviors are likely a continuation of adult feeding, which takes place in the substrate feeding on epifauna and benthic infauna (Chao and Musick 1977); however, it is unknown how much time or effort spawning individuals spend on feeding. Competition and Predation Because food and space are unlikely limited, environmental constraints (e.g., temperature) are probably greater factors than competition and predation. Offshore predation of spot is not well documented, but thought to be a continuation of the predation seen in lower estuary and nearshore habitats (e.g., sharks, sciaenids, flounders). Part B. Egg Habitat Geographic and Temporal Patterns of Migration Offshore of the U.S. southeast Atlantic coast, spot eggs are spawned during the winter months, but spawning often extends from late fall to early spring (Flores-Coto and Warlen 1993). Exact locations of spawning are not documented, though based on spawning temperature requirements of 17.5–25°C (Hettler and Powell 1981), eggs may be spawned in the inner continental shelf early in the spawning season before temperatures decrease. It is likely, however, that the majority of spot eggs are spawned after the fall on the outer continental shelf as this is the only offshore location supporting temperatures high enough for spawning (Warlen and Chester 1985). Detailed descriptions of the egg (and larval) inshore advection processes remain an active field of study, although the positively buoyant eggs are likely moved toward the coast by a combination of wind and warm water eddies, such as those from the Gulf Stream. For example, Govoni et al. (2013) found that spot larvae in warm water cyclonic eddies that both advance development (with warm water temperatures) and enhanced feeding opportunities for late larvae (supported by increased primary productivity). Excerpted from Atlantic Sciaenid Habitats: A Review of Utilization, Threats, and Recommendations for Conservation, Management, and Research 58 Salinity Because the egg stage of spot occurs entirely offshore, full seawater (approximately 35 ppt) is likely necessary for proper development and transport of eggs, though no studies have explicitly reported any tolerances or thresholds. Substrate Because the egg stage of spot occurs entirely offshore and the eggs are positively buoyant, substrate is not considered a critical aspect of spot egg habitat. Temperature Spawning adults and larvae (≤15 d old) are have relatively high temperature requirements (17.5–25°C) (Hettler and Powell 1981; Warlen and Chester 1985), which suggests that spot egg temperature requirements are also between 17.5–25°C. Spot eggs hatched within 48 h under laboratory conditions at 20°C, which is likely a realistic temperature based on empirical data (Powell and Gordy 1980). Dissolved Oxygen Because the egg stage of spot occurs entirely offshore, eggs are likely only ever exposed to normoxic waters (5–8 mg L-1). It is not currently thought that DO is a limiting factor to survival of spot eggs. Feeding Behavior Spot eggs subsist entirely off the yolk sac prior to hatch. Competition and Predation Spot eggs likely do not enter into any meaningful ecological competition, as their habitat demands are basic (temperature, salinity, and oxygen requirements largely met by the offshore conditions). Predation of eggs undoubtedly occurs but has not been well studied or reported. Although potentially large numbers of eggs are killed from predation, there is no reason to think that pelagic oceanic predators are targeting spot eggs over other, similar pelagic eggs. Part C. Larval Habitat Geographic and Migration Patterns Powell and Gordy (1980) report that the yolk sac and oil globule were absorbed within 5 d of hatch, in a laboratory setting at 20°C. Newly hatched larvae are likely still close to offshore spawning locations, which have been suggested to be up to or beyond 90 km offshore (Flores-Coto and Warlen 1993). Larvae cover (through a combination of passive and active migration or transport) perhaps the largest geographic distance of any life stage of spot, with the possible exception of adults migrating for spawning. As with the egg stage, larvae depend on wind and currents (e.g., warm water eddies) for transportation and complete their development over the continental shelf waters during the winter (Able and Fahay 2010). In the winter and through early spring, larval spot ingress into estuarine habitats and settle into upper regions of an estuary (Ribeiro et al. 2015). Salinity Corresponding with the range of habitats seen by larvae, a range of salinities is also experienced. Beginning offshore, full seawater (approximately 35 ppt) dominates until larvae enter coastal estuaries, Excerpted from Atlantic Sciaenid Habitats: A Review of Utilization, Threats, and Recommendations for Conservation, Management, and Research 59 where salinities likely vary considerably. It is unknown what proportion of larvae settles in upper estuarine or oligohaline habitats. Substrate For the majority of the larval phase, spot are pelagic and not in contact with or preferring a particular type of substrate. During settlement, they will interact much more with the substrate, though it remains unclear what (if any) substrate preferences exist for post-settlement larvae. Temperature Govoni et al. (2013) reported the densest larval spot concentrations were found along the continental shelf, which ranged in temperature from 11–19°C. Temperatures preferences for larvae may not be as high as for spawning adults and egg development since larvae must be transported through waters that are cooler than the offshore waters in which they were spawned.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A Practical Handbook for Determining the Ages of Gulf of Mexico And
    A Practical Handbook for Determining the Ages of Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coast Fishes THIRD EDITION GSMFC No. 300 NOVEMBER 2020 i Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission Commissioners and Proxies ALABAMA Senator R.L. “Bret” Allain, II Chris Blankenship, Commissioner State Senator District 21 Alabama Department of Conservation Franklin, Louisiana and Natural Resources John Roussel Montgomery, Alabama Zachary, Louisiana Representative Chris Pringle Mobile, Alabama MISSISSIPPI Chris Nelson Joe Spraggins, Executive Director Bon Secour Fisheries, Inc. Mississippi Department of Marine Bon Secour, Alabama Resources Biloxi, Mississippi FLORIDA Read Hendon Eric Sutton, Executive Director USM/Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Florida Fish and Wildlife Ocean Springs, Mississippi Conservation Commission Tallahassee, Florida TEXAS Representative Jay Trumbull Carter Smith, Executive Director Tallahassee, Florida Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Austin, Texas LOUISIANA Doug Boyd Jack Montoucet, Secretary Boerne, Texas Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Baton Rouge, Louisiana GSMFC Staff ASMFC Staff Mr. David M. Donaldson Mr. Bob Beal Executive Director Executive Director Mr. Steven J. VanderKooy Mr. Jeffrey Kipp IJF Program Coordinator Stock Assessment Scientist Ms. Debora McIntyre Dr. Kristen Anstead IJF Staff Assistant Fisheries Scientist ii A Practical Handbook for Determining the Ages of Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coast Fishes Third Edition Edited by Steve VanderKooy Jessica Carroll Scott Elzey Jessica Gilmore Jeffrey Kipp Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission 2404 Government St Ocean Springs, MS 39564 and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission 1050 N. Highland Street Suite 200 A-N Arlington, VA 22201 Publication Number 300 November 2020 A publication of the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award Number NA15NMF4070076 and NA15NMF4720399.
    [Show full text]
  • Comparative Ecology of the Parasites of the Spot, Leiostomus Xanthurus
    W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 1989 Comparative ecology of the parasites of the spot, Leiostomus xanthurus Lacepede, and the Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus Linnaeus (Sciaenidae), in the Cape Hatteras region Dennis A. Thoney College of William and Mary - Virginia Institute of Marine Science Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, and the Zoology Commons Recommended Citation Thoney, Dennis A., "Comparative ecology of the parasites of the spot, Leiostomus xanthurus Lacepede, and the Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus Linnaeus (Sciaenidae), in the Cape Hatteras region" (1989). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539616876. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.25773/v5-j3p5-0627 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS The most advanced technology has been used to photo­ graph and reproduce this manuscript from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted.
    [Show full text]
  • Candidate Species for Florida Aquaculture: Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonias Undulatus1
    FA 148 Candidate Species for Florida Aquaculture: Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonias undulatus1 R. LeRoy Creswell, Cortney L. Ohs, and Christian L. Miller2 Atlantic Croaker Geographic Distribution and Habitat The Atlantic croaker is known to occur in the northern and eastern parts of the Gulf of Mexico, along the Atlantic coast of the United States from south Florida to Massachusetts, in the Greater Antilles, and along the South American Atlantic Figure 1. Atlantic Croaker Micropogonias undulatus Credits: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United coast from Surinam to Argentina. Its U.S. fishing Nations 1978 grounds extend from the Rio Grande to Tampa Bay in the Gulf of Mexico and from northern Florida to General Description Cape Hatteras on the Atlantic coast. In Florida, Atlantic croaker are seldom found south of Tampa The Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus Bay or the Indian River Lagoon on the Atlantic coast (Figure 1), is a member of the family Sciaenidae, the (Lankford and Targett 1994). Croaker are found over drum family. This medium-sized fish is slightly mud and sandy mud bottoms in coastal waters to elongate, moderately compressed, and silvery in color about 1,000 meter depth and in estuaries where the with a pinkish cast; the back and upper sides are nursery and feeding grounds are located. grayish with black spots forming irregular, oblique lines above the lateral line. The dorsal fin has small Natural History black dots and a black edge; other fins are pale to yellowish. The chin has 3 to 5 pairs of barbels along Atlantic croaker are medium-sized members of the inner edge of the lower jaw.
    [Show full text]
  • Drum and Croaker (Family Sciaenidae) Diversity in North Carolina
    Drum and Croaker (Family Sciaenidae) Diversity in North Carolina The waters along and off the coast are where you will find 18 of the 19 species within the Family Sciaenidae (Table 1) known from North Carolina. Until recently, the 19th species and the only truly freshwater species in this family, Freshwater Drum, was found approximately 420 miles WNW from Cape Hatteras in the French Broad River near Hot Springs. Table 1. Species of drums and croakers found in or along the coast of North Carolina. Scientific Name/ Scientific Name/ American Fisheries Society Accepted Common Name American Fisheries Society Accepted Common Name Aplodinotus grunniens – Freshwater Drum Menticirrhus saxatilis – Northern Kingfish Bairdiella chrysoura – Silver Perch Micropogonias undulatus – Atlantic Croaker Cynoscion nebulosus – Spotted Seatrout Pareques acuminatus – High-hat Cynoscion nothus – Silver Seatrout Pareques iwamotoi – Blackbar Drum Cynoscion regalis – Weakfish Pareques umbrosus – Cubbyu Equetus lanceolatus – Jackknife-fish Pogonias cromis – Black Drum Larimus fasciatus – Banded Drum Sciaenops ocellatus – Red Drum Leiostomus xanthurus – Spot Stellifer lanceolatus – Star Drum Menticirrhus americanus – Southern Kingfish Umbrina coroides – Sand Drum Menticirrhus littoralis – Gulf Kingfish With so many species historically so well-known to recreational and commercial fishermen, to lay people, and their availability in seafood markets, it is not surprising that these 19 species are known by many local and vernacular names. Skimming through the ETYFish Project
    [Show full text]
  • Spatial and Temporal Resource Partitioning
    TEXAS J. OF SCI. 64(1):0-00 FEBRUARY, 2012 (PUBLISHED JUNE 2015) HABITAT USE AND DIETS OF JUVENILE SPOT (LEIOSTOMUS XANTHURUS) AND ATLANTIC CROAKER (MICROPOGONIAS UNDULATUS) IN A SMALL ESTUARY AT MAD ISLAND MARSH, TEXAS Senol Akin1, 2 and Kirk O. Winemiller1 1Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, 2258 TAMU College Station, TX 77843-2258 2 Current address: Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Fisheries, Gaziosmanpasa University, 60240, Tokat, Turkey ABSTRACT.–Spatial and temporal variation in feeding of immature stages (10-130 mm standard length) of two sciaenids, spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) and Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus), was investigated at Mad Island Marsh on the Texas Gulf coast from March 1998 through August 1999. Periods of peak abundance of each species were different (December for croaker, March for spot). The two species were dissimilar in diet and habitat use along the longitudinal gradient of a small estuary, except for the winter months of both years when postlarvae dominated samples and dietary overlap was high. Low dietary overlap occurred despite the fact that both species consumed mostly benthic organisms (amphipods, gastropods, nematodes, polychaetes), pelagic copepods, and detritus. Overall, spot consumed greater proportions of copepods, nematodes and chironomid larvae, and croakers had broader diets that included most of the abundant invertebrates in the habitat (e.g., amphipods, shrimp, blue crabs) plus smaller percentages of fish. Regardless of season and body size, the spot diet was dominated by copepods and nematodes. The croaker had a more pronounced ontogenetic diet shift, with the smallest size classes (10-25 mm) consuming mostly copepods, and larger juveniles having diets dominated by amphipods, polychaete worms, shrimp, crabs, and fish.
    [Show full text]
  • Diet Analysis of Stranded Bottlenose Dolphins (<I>Tursiops Truncatus</I
    Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations Biological Sciences Spring 2020 Diet Analysis of Stranded Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Virginia Kristen Marie Volker Old Dominion University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/biology_etds Part of the Biology Commons, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, and the Marine Biology Commons Recommended Citation Volker, Kristen M.. "Diet Analysis of Stranded Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Virginia" (2020). Master of Science (MS), Thesis, Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/6bas-rj82 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/biology_etds/113 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Biological Sciences at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DIET ANALYSIS OF STRANDED BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS) IN VIRGINIA by Kristen Marie Volker B.S. December 2008, University of New England A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE BIOLOGY OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY MAY 2020 Approved by: Ian Bartol (Director) Holly Gaff (Member) Kent Carpenter (Member) Damon Gannon (Member) ABSTRACT DIET ANALYSIS OF STRANDED BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS) IN VIRGINIA Kristen Marie Volker Old Dominion University, 2020 Director: Dr. Ian Bartol This study describes the diet of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) stranded in Virginia via stomach content analysis and considers factors such as proportion of numerical abundance and reconstructed mass, frequency of occurrence, average reconstructed prey size, prey diversity and quantity, and otolith degradation code.
    [Show full text]
  • Atlantic Croaker Micropogonias Undulatus Contributor: J
    Atlantic Croaker Micropogonias undulatus Contributor: J. David Whitaker DESCRIPTION Taxonomy and Basic Description The Atlantic croaker is the only representative of the genus in the western North Atlantic. This species gets its name from the deep By Diane Rome Peebles from the Florida Division of Marine Resources Web Site. croaking sounds created by muscular action on the air bladder. It is one of 23 members of the family Sciaenidae found along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts (Mercer 1987). The species has a typical fusiform shape, although it is somewhat vertically compressed. The fish is silvery overall with a faint pinkish-bronze cast. The back and upper sides are grayish, with brassy or brown spots forming wavy lines on the side (Manooch 1988). The gill cover has three to five prominent spines and there are three to five small chin barbels. It has a slightly convex caudal fin. Atlantic croaker south of Cape Hatteras reach maturity after one year at lengths of 140 to 180 mm (5.5 to 7 inches) and are thought to not survive longer than one or two years (Diaz and Onuf 1985). North of Cape Hatteras, the fish matures a year later at lengths greater than 200 mm (8 inches) and individuals may live several years. The Atlantic croaker reaches a maximum length of 500 mm (20 inches) (Hildebrand and Schroeder 1927). Catches of large Atlantic croaker appear to be relatively common on Chesapeake Bay, but large individuals of Atlantic croaker are rare in South Carolina. Bearden (1964) speculated that small croaker from South Carolina may migrate north, but limited tagging studies could not corroborate that assertion.
    [Show full text]
  • November 7, 2019 Council Attendees: Joe Rizzo Eleanor Bochenek Sergio Radossi John Maxwell Bob Rush Dick Herb Barney Hollinger
    Marine Fisheries Council Meeting November 7, 2019 Council Attendees: Joe Rizzo Eleanor Bochenek Sergio Radossi John Maxwell Bob Rush Dick Herb Barney Hollinger Council Absentees: None DEP and Division of Fish and Wildlife Attendees: Jeff Brust, Chief, Bureau of Marine Fisheries (BMF) Joe Cimino, Administrator, Marine Fisheries Administration (MFA) Mike Celestino, Research Scientist, MFA Heather Corbett, Supervising Biologist, BMF Brendan Harrison, Assistant Biologist, BMF Matt Heyl, Assistant Biologist, BMF Timothy Daniels, Assistant Biologist, BMF Laura Versaggi, Fishery Specialist, ACCSP Linda Barry, Research Scientist, MFA Brian Neilan, Principal Biologist, BMF Jeff Normant, Supervising Biologist, BSF Chris Petruccelli, Conservation Officer, Bureau of Law Enforcement (BLE) Russ Babb, Chief, Bureau of Shellfisheries (BSF) The meeting was called to order. Notice of the Marine Fisheries Council (Council) meeting was filed with the Secretary of State on October 10, 2019. Acting Chairman Herb began the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. Approval of Minutes Meeting minutes from the September 5th meeting of the Council were approved without revision. Motion made by Mr. Radossi and seconded by Mr. Maxwell. Motion unanimously carried. 1. Enforcement Report – C. Petruccelli On August 31st, 2019, CPO Woerner was patrolling the Sandy Hook area when he observed individuals wading in an area where people frequently harvest clams from condemned waters. After thorough observation, CPO Woerner ended up apprehending three groups of individuals, including juveniles, harvesting clams in prohibited water. CPO Woerner seized several hundred hard clams and issued summonses for harvesting shellfish without a license and for harvesting shellfish from the prohibited waters of Sandy Hook Bay. In the late evening hours of September 13th into the early morning hours of September 14th, CPOs Moscatiello and Woerner were patrolling the area around the train tracks that run through Brielle and Point Pleasant Beach.
    [Show full text]
  • Spot Atlantic Sturgeon
    Species Profile: Profile: Spot Atlantic Sturgeon Managers Consider New Approach to Evaluating Stock Trends and Initiating Management Action Species Snapshot Spot Introduction Leiostomus xanthurus Spot is one of the 275 sciaenid species worldwide. The Commission alone manages a total of six sciaenid species, which are commonly called drums, croakers, or hardheads Common Names: for the repetitive throbbing or drumming sounds they produce. A small to medium Norfolk spot, flat croaker, golden croaker, spot bodied, short-lived species found in brackish and saltwater habitats from the Chesapeake croaker, silver gudgeon, Bay to South Carolina, spot are an important forage species for predators such as striped goody, hub, roach, bass, weakfish, summer flounder, bluefish, and sharks. They are also an excellent food jimmy and sport fish, supporting recreational and commercial fisheries in the Mid- and South Atlantic, with total 2013 landings estimated at 6.1 million pounds. Management Unit: The Commission adopted the first Spot Fishery Management Plan (FMP) in 1987. The FMP identified two major issues that have hindered effective management of Delaware to the resource. The first being a lack of stock assessment data, including basic data Florida requirements such as information on recruitment, age, size, and sex composition, as well as variations in these characteristics over time and area. The second issue concerns Interesting Facts: the bycatch (or inadvertent catch of undersized or unwanted fish) of spot in the South • Spot travel in huge (>100 fish) slow-moving Atlantic shrimp trawl, pound net, long haul seine, and trawl fisheries. Since adoption schools over sand-mud bottoms. of the FMP, progress has been made in the development of bycatch reduction devices • Spot are the only member of the drum family, for shrimp trawlers.
    [Show full text]
  • Atlantic Croaker
    CHAPTER 2: ATLANTIC CROAKER Populated with Habitat Section from Amendment I to the ISFMP (ASMFC 2005) Section I. General Description of Habitat Atlantic croaker was described by Petrik et al. (1999) as a habitat generalist. Field surveys of post- settlement croaker in estuarine nursery areas found no significant differences in abundances among SAV, marsh edge, and sandy bottom (Petrik et al. 1999). In a wetland system, Atlantic croaker along the Gulf Coast preferred non-vegetated bottom adjacent to wetlands rather than the marsh itself (Rozas and Zimmerman 2000). In North Carolina, Atlantic croaker have been documented to utilize SAV, wetlands, non-vegetated soft bottom, and to a lesser extent, shell bottom (Street et al. 2005). Juvenile croaker use these habitats for refuge and foraging and as a corridor through the estuary. In North Carolina, Atlantic croaker is one of the dominant juvenile fish species in the estuaries (North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, unpublished data). Because croaker utilizes multiple habitats, the effect of habitat change and condition on fish population is difficult to assess. Part A. Spawning Habitat Geographic and Temporal Patterns of Migration Atlantic croaker spawn predominantly on the continental shelf, at depths ranging from 7 to 81 m (26 to 266 ft), but also in tidal inlets and estuaries (Diaz and Onuf 1985; Able and Fahay 2010). Atlantic croaker have a long spawning season that generally starts in late summer and continues to early spring, with peak reproductive activity occurring in late fall and winter (Diaz and Onuf 1985). In the Chesapeake Bay and North Carolina, spawning begins as early as August and usually peaks in October, whereas peak spawning occurs in November in the Gulf of Mexico (USFWS 1996).
    [Show full text]
  • Diets of Coastal Bottlenose Dolphins from the U. S. Mid
    MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, 20(3):527-545 (July 2004) 0 2004 by the Society for Marine Mammalogy DIETS OF COASTAL BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS FROM THE U.S. MID-ATLANTIC COAST DIFFER BY HABITAT DAMONP. GANNON' DANIELLEM. WAPLES Duke University Marine Laboratory, Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University, 135 Duke Marine Lab Road, Beaufort, North Carolina 28516, U.S.A. E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT We recorded 31 species in the stomachs of 146 coastal bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatu) from North Carolina, U.S.A. Sciaenid fishes were the most common prey (frequency of occurrence = 95%). By mass, Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) dominated the diet of dolphins that stranded inside estuaries, whereas weakfish (Cynosicon regalis) was most important for dolphins in the ocean. Inshore squid (Loligo sp.) was eaten commonly by dolphins in the ocean, but not by those in the estuaries. There was no significant pattern in prey size associated with dolphin demography, but the proportion of the diet represented by croaker was higher for males than for females, and mature dolphins ate more croaker than did juveniles. Dietary differences between dolphins that stranded in the estuaries and those that stranded on ocean beaches support the hypothesis that some members of the population inhabit the ocean primarily while others reside principally in estuaries. The overwhelming majority of prey were soniferous species (75% of numerical abundance), which is consistent with the hypothesis that bottlenose dolphins use passive listening to locate noise-making fishes. However, spatiotemporal patterns in consumption of Sciaenid fishes did not coincide with their spawning, which is when peak sound production is thought to occur.
    [Show full text]
  • Life History of Silver Perch Bairdiella Chrysoura (Lacepède, 1803) in North-Central Gulf of Mexico Estuaries Gretchen L
    Gulf of Mexico Science Volume 27 Article 7 Number 1 Number 1 2009 Life History of Silver Perch Bairdiella chrysoura (Lacepède, 1803) in North-Central Gulf of Mexico Estuaries Gretchen L. Grammer Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Nancy J. Brown-Peterson University of Southern Mississippi Mark S. Peterson University of Southern Mississippi Bruce H. Comyns University of Southern Mississippi DOI: 10.18785/goms.2701.07 Follow this and additional works at: https://aquila.usm.edu/goms Recommended Citation Grammer, G. L., N. J. Brown-Peterson, M. S. Peterson and B. H. Comyns. 2009. Life History of Silver Perch Bairdiella chrysoura (Lacepède, 1803) in North-Central Gulf of Mexico Estuaries. Gulf of Mexico Science 27 (1). Retrieved from https://aquila.usm.edu/goms/vol27/iss1/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by The Aquila Digital Community. It has been accepted for inclusion in Gulf of Mexico Science by an authorized editor of The Aquila Digital Community. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Grammer et al.: Life History of Silver Perch Bairdiella chrysoura (Lacepède, 1803 Gulf of Mexico Science, 2009(1), pp. 62–73 Life History of Silver Perch Bairdiella chrysoura (Lacepe`de, 1803) in North-Central Gulf of Mexico Estuaries GRETCHEN L. GRAMMER,NANCY J. BROWN-PETERSON,MARK S. PETERSON, AND BRUCE H. COMYNS Silver perch, Bairdiella chrysoura (Lacepe`de) [n = 485, 70.0–171.0 mm standard length (SL)] were collected from April 2002 through June 2003 in estuaries along the coast of Mississippi to quantify their life history. Ages estimated from sagittal otoliths ranged from 0 to 4 yr.
    [Show full text]